Island



(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1. W. LUTH.

LIFE BOAT.

Patented Dec. 10, 1889.

3 Sheets-Sheet 2. W. LUTH LIFE BOAT.

(No Model.) 7

Patented Dec. 10. 1889.

\lllill N4 PETERS, PhokoLilhogmphur. washingiom D. C.

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

' W. LUTH.

LIFE BOAT. No. 417,195. Patented Dec. 10, 18 89 Wif asses llaficzgfr I hzzz'an 2?, 2027 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

\VILTJAM LllTII, O11 flEbPORT, RHODE ISLAND, ASSIGNOR ONE-HALF TO LAURITS (l. TIIERKILDSEN, OF SAME PLACE.

LIFE-BOAT.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 417,195, dated December 10, 1889.

Serial No. 314,936. (No model.)

Application filed June 20, 1889.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM LUTH, a citi- '/.en of the United States, residing at Newport, in the county of Newport and State of Rhode Island, have invented a new and use ful Life-Boat, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to life-boats; and it has for its object to provide a boat of this class which shall combine the essential elements of lightness and strength, and which shall for this purpose be provided with suitably-located air tanks or compartn'ients and with a ballast-tank, which may be filled or partially filled wit-h water for the purpose of keeping the boat from capsizing. Means are furthermore provided for discharging a part of the ballast when the boat gets into shoal water, and for automatically discharging any water which may be shipped by the boat.

The invention consists in the improved construction of the said boat, which will behereinafter fully described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings hereto annexed, Figure l is a perspective view of a life-boat equipped wit-h my improvements. Fig. 2 is a central longitudinal vertical sectional view of the same. Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse section taken on the line 00 0c of Fig. 2. Fig. l is a horizontal sectional view taken on the line 1 y of Fig. 2. Fig.5 isalongitudinal sectional view taken on the line .2 ,2 in Fig. l.

The same letters refer to the same parts in all the figures.

A designates the hull of the boat. keel, and. G the stern-post.

D designates the deck, and E the hold, near the front and rear ends of which are vertical partitions F F, between which and the bow and stern of the boat are constructed the tanks or air-tight compartments G and H.

Arranged centrally and longitudinally in the hold is the water-tank I, and adjacent to and on both sides of the said water-tank are arranged the series of air-tanks J J, of which there may be any desired number on each side of the centrally-located water-tank. The

l; is the latter is provided at one end with a ventopening K, extending through the deck of the boat, and at the opposite end of said tank is arranged a suitablyconstructed pump L, having an operating-handle M, attached to the upper end of the piston-rod, which, likewise, as well as the discharge-tube, extends through the deck of the boat.

N N are a series of vertical tubes connecting the deck I) with the bottom 0 of the boat, and provided at their upper ends with suitably-constructed pi voted valves P P,which are normally closed, but which, whenever water is shipped by the boat, will be opened automatically by the weight or pressure of the water, which will thus be discharged through the vertical tubes N.

arranged in a recess Q in the inner side of each of the air-tanks J, and the said vertical tubes thus serve to retain the said air-tanks in their respective positions.

The several air-tanks may be separated by transverse bulk-heads R R, which serve the additional purpose of strengthening the structure of the boat, while they also lessen the possibility of the air-tanks being staved in.

Upon the air-tanks G and H, at the stem and stern of the boat, are mounted the supplemental air-tanks T and U, which may be secured in position by means of straps or lashings V, attached to staples W upon the sides of the hull.

The forward end of the to the wind.

The said air-tanks T and U,in

addition to assisting the boat in righting itself when in danger of capsizing, serve to some extent to afford shelter to the occupants of the boat.

Y designates the rudder, which is provided with a tubular bearing Z for the rudder-post or pintle 2, which is attached in the usual manner to the heel of the keel, and which extends upwardly nearly to the upper end of the sternpost. An additional bearing is formed by the pintle 3, which is attached to the upper end of the rudder, and which works pivotally in an eye or staple 4, attached to the stern-post, near the upper end of the latter.

of the pintle 2 the rudder will at all times work safely and without much danger of bein g unshipped.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the drawings hereto annexed, the advantages of myimproved life-boat will be readily understood. It is evident that owing to the large number of air-tanks the boat will be kept afloat, even in case of accidents to one or more of the said tanks. \Vater shipped by the boat will be instantly and automatically discharged through the tubes N and valves P, and the weight of the water contained in the centrally-located ballastchamber will serve at all times, in conjunction with the air-chambers, to keep the boat even and steady. \Vhile the boat is in deep water the ballast-chamber may be kept entirely filled with water; but the contents may be gradually discharged by means of the pump When the boat gets into shoal-water, thus lightening the boat. The water discharged from the ballast-chamber will immediately escape through the valves P and vertical tubes N.

The general construction of the boatissimple and inexpensive, and its construction is such as to combine lightness with strength and durability.

1 Having thus described my inventiornwhat I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s

1. In a life-boat, the combination of the water-tank arranged centrally'and longitudinally in the hold of said boat, the air-tanks arranged on each side of said water-tank and provided with vertical recesses in their inner sides, andthe vertical tubes or passages extending through the hold of the boat connecting the deck and the bottom of the same and provided at their upper ends with pivoted valves, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

tank arranged centrally and longitudinallyin 1 the hold of said boat, the air-tanks located on each side of said water-tanks and having vertical recesses in their inner sides, the vertical discharge-pipes extending through the recesses in the said air-tanks, the transverse bulk-heads separating said air-tanks. the air-chambers constructed at the stem and stern of the boat, a vent-opening for the water-tank extending through the deck of the boat, and a pump the discharge-tube and piston-rod of which likewise extend through the deck of the boat, substantially as herein set forth.

4. The combination, with alife-b'oat having the air-chambers constructed at its stem and stern, of supplemental air-tanks inounted'detachably upon the said air-chambersandprovided with straps or lashes, by means of which they are secured detaehably to the hull, substantially as herein set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM LU'ri-i.

Witnesses:

CARRIE A. HALL, CLARENCE A. HAMMETI. 

